I'm Declaring A New Holiday! in Muddling Through As Best I Can

It’s been a bit of a downer week here, so to make myself feel better and put a positive spin on things, I’m declaring a new international holiday.
Yesterday was the fifteenth anniversary of the death of my son Austin.
I’ve recounted the story in the past from my grandmother wherein her eight year old son died after she spanked him and sent him outside to help his older brother. She was angry that I had disciplined Austin and then sent him out to play, and told me she never got the chance to tell Bernard she loved him one last time.
I had never seen tears in Grandma’s eyes before that.
As a result, since that day, I made it a point to tell Austin, Brandon, Bradley and Brian that I love them every single day whether it be in person,via telephone, email or text. It is important to me because I know that someday it will be the last time I have the chance to say those words. I believe that they KNOW that I love them, but it is important that I TELL them I love them also.
So, in that spirit, I am unofficially declaring the week of March 24 International Hug Your Kids and Tell them You Love Them Week.
If you make it a point to do it repeatedly during the day all week, it will make you feel better and irritate them tremendously with their overemotional parents by the end of the week, so it’s a double bonus, lol.
Seriously though, be sure and tell them how much they mean to you. Even amidst the pain and aggravation our children can bring throughout the years, there is no gift God has given me that is more precious than to entrust them to me. The joy of loving them far outweighs anything else in my life, and I’m sure most parents feel the same.
So, mark this week on your calendars, I’m going to remind you next year.